Monday, March 25, 2013

96 - Caught in the Grips

After spending most days listening to sludge, doom, black
metal and variations thereof, the exuberance of a band like 96 is a welcome
kick in the pants. With their album Caught in The Grips, these Jersey boys inject a high octane shot of adrenaline to
get your ass moving.

Slinging 13 tracks in 22 minutes, 96 employ the
smash-and-grab technique; maximizing effectiveness and minimizing waste. It’s
best to describe 96 as hardcore punk. They bring a harder edge to straight up
punk as with hardcore, but lack the kind of anger found in today’s hardcore
bands (not a bad thing). Their mosh-ready tunes are littered with killer riffs played with a
controlled looseness. Tight performance with great feel. Whether full-speed
ahead or bouncing in mid-pace, Caught in the Grips will keep you on the go.

96 manage to take a template rooted in the old school and
keep it fresh. One can hear sounds that remind of Biohazard, Sick of it All,
Madball and DRI without sounding like ripoffs. The result is an album that has
a classic familiarity without sounding dated.

Gang shouts are sparse but well timed while Corey Donohue’s
vocals have a very crossover feel infused with snarl and even some
tongue-in-cheek lyrics (as referenced by a song about iced tea).96 are packed with enthusiasm, tearing through Caught in the
Grips barely leaving room to catch a breath. Infectious energy, outstanding
riffs and some fuck-yeah solos come together to make 96 a mosh pit wrecking
crew. Go ahead, get Caught in the Grips.